One area, three countries
Basel lies where France, Switzerland and Germany meet. On the French side, the area starts at Saint-Louis and Huningue, on the Rhine, facing Germany. It stretches up to Mulhouse, linked to Basel by motorway and by train. Tram 3 has crossed the border since December 2017, up to four times an hour on weekdays. EuroAirport straddles the border, with an access on each side. Living in Saint-Louis? See the Saint-Louis page (in French).
Whatever your route, your phone switches at some point to a Swiss network, where the European roaming rules no longer apply. What you pay then depends on what your plan provides for Switzerland. The details are in the guide “Using your phone in Switzerland when you live in France” (in French).
The local catch that costs money: “Europe included”
In Basel, a “Europe included” plan includes Germany, and Switzerland only if its contract says so. Of the two countries bordering the area, only Germany is in the European Union. The European rules that remove charges abroad stop applying as soon as your phone is on a Swiss mast. Some operators count Switzerland with Europe, others don’t: look for it in the list of countries in the contract before you sign. And three networks overlap in the same streets: the screen doesn’t always tell you which one you are on.
For a cross-border commuter in Basel, one question matters: what does the plan provide on the Swiss side? How many gigabytes, and are calls included? With a plan that includes Switzerland as it does Germany, calls stay included whatever the mast. What your phone uses on a Swiss mast, even on the French side, is taken from the mobile data provided for Switzerland.
The plans
| Plan | France | Switzerland, Europe, Andorra and overseas departments | Network | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flytel Essentiel | 20 GB | 20 GB | Orange 4G | €14.99 |
| Flytel Confort | 100 GB | 50 GB | Orange 5G | €19.99 |
With Flytel, your calls, texts and MMS are unlimited between France, Switzerland, Europe, Andorra and the French overseas departments. In Germany as in Switzerland, you draw on the same mobile data allowance. The plan has no commitment, and you can keep your number.
Three networks, one allowance outside France
In Basel, your phone can switch from a French mast to a Swiss or German one without you moving. The counter follows the network your phone is connected to: on a Swiss mast, including on the French side near the border, what you use is taken from your Switzerland and Europe allowance. A German mast counts the same way: Germany is in the same allowance as Switzerland. With other operators, it is the rule that changes from one mast to the next: Germany falls under the European roaming regulation, Switzerland does not.
Calls in the area, depending on the country you call from
| Situation | Type of call | With Flytel |
|---|---|---|
| From Saint-Louis, to a Swiss number | International call | Included |
| From Saint-Louis, to a German number | International call | Included |
| From Basel, to a German number | Roaming and international call | Included |
Every call direction is set out in the call situations between France and Switzerland. The journey itself, tram 3 and customs, is on the Saint-Louis to Basel crossing (in French). And what a cross-border mobile plan should include has its own page.
The area, commune by commune: Saint-Louis, Mulhouse, Huningue and Hégenheim. Each one describes the network as seen from home. These pages are in French.
The other areas
Working elsewhere in Switzerland? The plan is the same, and each area has its own page:
- Cross-border commuters in Geneva, from Annemasse and the Pays de Gex.
- Cross-border commuters in Lausanne (in French), from Lake Geneva or the Jura.
- Cross-border commuters in Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds (in French), from Morteau.
- Mobile plan for cross-border commuters, the general page.
- France-Germany mobile plan (in French), if you work on the other side of the Rhine.
Sources
- European Commission, “Roaming”, read on 1 October 2026.
- Arcep, “International roaming rates” (in French), read on 1 October 2026.
- OFCOM, “Roaming” (in French), read on 1 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions in Basel
With Flytel, you stay within your plan: your calls are included, and your mobile data is taken from the Switzerland and Europe allowance, as on a Swiss mast. On a German mast, it is the European roaming regulation that applies, because Germany is in the European Union.
With Flytel, both calls are included. Elsewhere, not always: from France, it is an international call to the European Union; from Basel, it is roaming outside the Union, plus an international call.
No. The plan is the same across the whole area. What matters is what it provides on the Swiss side, in mobile data and calls, not the commune you leave from.
